Friday, 20 June 2008

I had been meaning to write this one for a while now, but like a lubricated cloud, its was rather hard to keep hold of.

So without further a do; I would like to introduce my first book: Verbular and noundic plurelacise.A guide to the tricky world of plurals, singulars and tensing in the english language.

Introduction:We all know that working out when something should get pluralised and what form this should take is not something that can be equated from a simple set of rules. Often many words have their plural version bear no resemblance to logic. Similarly, singulars cannot be derived from their plural equivalent. In the course of this book, I hope to provide you with some much needed answers to your question or questicies.

Some universal laws: Some rules can always be applied, and should be learnt first:(i) x->cesSome basic examples first:Index->indicesMatrix->matricesprix->priceschox->choicesbox->bocies

but they can also be used in making more irregular words1 voice-> 2 vox1 horse-> 3 hoax1 oak -> 3 oxen (notice how the word is past tense due to the tree now being dead).

(ii) past tensedTensing is another tricky area that we can help. Just remember, if it happened then it needs oldering.dead->deadenbreath-> brendpig -> porknavigate->navigotdog->dug3-> threedtriplicate->triplipacisedtree->troddivided->dividend (a past event happening again, in the past).jump->jimped

(iii) present past continuous.Possible the toughest of tensing. Best described in a scenario:Mark would like to tell Peter about a time he was fishing when he fell in to a lake. He tells this story as if he was there at the time, but with reference to the fact that it is in the past. Mark begins:

"I had fished when fallen went water and wet."

Unfortunately, this is not english, and gramatically much closer to Canadian, or Indian.

Instead it should follow simple english rules:

"I was fished and whilst fisheding did I felling and watered." - Much better I think you'll agree.